DGSB+History



 __The School's History __  

The foundation of the school 1905-1945     1946-present The town of Dover Old achievements __The Foundation of the School__  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> The school as it is today was built in 1924 and was opened on December 9th 1931, but the original school was built in 1905. It was known as Dover County School for Boys. A few years before the work started on the school, the grounds looked like this picture below. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="display: block; text-align: left; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">On March 6 <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> th 1924 construction started at Astor Avenue. Canon Elnor, who was Chairman of the Governors, cut the first section of grass at the building site. People in the crowd now wondered how long it would be before the new school was built. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">    <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Workmen then built the school, and it was completed in 1931. Below are some pictures of the building of the school. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">    <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">    <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">     <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">    <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Aerial view of the school shortly  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> after construction

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">   <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif">  <span style="font-family: Bitstream Charter,serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">

1905-1945       <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Bitstream Charter,serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Fred Whitehouse founded the school on the 11th of September 1905. The school used to be a Dover county school and was hosted to both boys & girls. Effectively it was the combining of the Pupil Teacher Center and the Municipal Day School. The Old Pharosian's Association, however, wasn't founded until 1910. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">In 1910 the girls moved to Maison Dieu road which was previously occupied by the high school for girls. By 1912 the boys had bought a site in Frith road due to expanding numbers. Despite World War I, the building in Frith road was completed and the boys moved in October 1916. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Bitstream Charter,serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">The building for the school we are in now, started in March 1924 by Canon Elnor. On 17th September 1931, the school was ready and so the boys moved in. Fred Whitehouse remained headmaster of the school until 1936 and J. C. Booth took over. The abandoned Frith road school was then used by the girls county school, which later became the Dover Grammar school for Girls. <span style="font-family: Bitstream Charter,serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">During World War II, J. C. Booth moved the boys to Ebbw Vale in Wales. The school building was then used by armed forces as accommodation for WRNS, some of whom worked in the “secret tunnels” under Dover Castle. By September 1945 the boys were back in school which was then called Dover Grammar school rather than the old name county.

<span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">1946-present

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">In 1946, the Headteacher was K.H.Ruffell. He kept his position until 1979 - Ruffell previously had the occupation as deputy headteacher so he had some good experience with the school.

Since 1946, our school - DGSB - has earned many trophies and achievements. At present, Mrs. Lees is the headteacher at this school and is doing a brilliant job. We are progressing further and faster than ever in this decade and owe it all to Mrs. Lees. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-family: Bitstream Charter,serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">The town of Dover <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> <span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Stone Age Dover

Most of Dover's early stone age remains have been destroyed, only a handful of stone axes remain. In the late stone age crossed Dover by boat, through the river dour. The earliest surviving cross-channel vessel was discovered at Dover in 1991 during excavations for the building of a new road. The 3,500 year old boat is on display in a special gallery in Dover Museum.

<span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Roman Dover

On 26th August 55bc, Julius Caesar arrived in Dover, with an invasion fleet. The Romans could see a large amount of armed Britons on the cliff, from there boats. Caesar decided to land in deal, as it was less armed. The British port closest to the roman empire was a large town, thought to be covered in at least 5 hectare area across the Dour Valley. The Romans called the town Dubris after Dubras, the British name meaning “waters” the roman town had a large harbor, flanked with 2 lighthouses, and 3 successful forts. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> Old achievements <span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 15pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">         <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"> In the hall of DGSB are a several, special wooden boards that hold honours of boys who have done special achievements. On the staircase to the library, there is a glass-stained window which commemerates those boys from our school who gave their lives to save their country. We are proud of them, remember each of them and thank them for what they did for us.

DGSB has earned many achievements since 1931 and is proud of them. In 1995, this school gained the 'grant maintained' status and throughout the years many achievements - sport, musical, academic, etc. - have been recorded in the old pharosian archives on the DGSB website.